Worldwide travel insurance

Can I get travel insurance that covers COVID-19?

Yes, you can still compare and purchase travel insurance with COVID-19 cover from Confused.com. All of our providers offer emergency medical treatment and repatriation (returning to the UK) for COVID-19 claims.

A number of our providers offer further COVID-19 related cover such as holiday cancellations and accommodation costs and denied boarding. Be sure to check the details of your policy carefully as different providers will offer different policy enhancements.

It's important to note that if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), you won't be covered by any travel insurance policy you buy.

What is worldwide travel insurance?

World travel insurance is designed to protect you against unexpected costs like medical treatment, lost baggage, flight delays and cancellations, wherever you are in the world.

When you get a quote, you’ll have the option to choose worldwide cover including US, Canada, Caribbean & Mexico. There’s also an option to exclude these countries if you don’t plan on visiting them on your trip.

How much is worldwide travel insurance?

The cost of a policy normally depends on certain things, including:

Where you're travelling to
How long you'll be away for
Your age
If you've got any pre-existing medical conditions

Here are the average costs of worldwide travel insurance policies for different regions around the world:

Destination	Average premium¹
Worldwide inc. US, Canada and Caribbean	£117.35
Worldwide exc. US, Canada and Caribbean	£95.76
Australia and New Zealand	£80.05

1. Confused.com travel data: Average price of all premiums (12 months) March 2021 – March 2022

Things such as medical care usually cost more in the US, Canada, and the Caribbean, so premiums for these countries are normally more expensive.

What does worldwide travel insurance cover?

Worldwide cover typically includes the same benefits as a standard travel policy. These normally include:

Emergency medical treatment cover covering you for hospital expenses and transportation costs back to the UK if you’re unwell while abroad
Cancellations cover to help claim back money for a hotel or transport if you have to cut your trip short or cancel your holiday completely
Lost baggage or possessions cover in case they are lost or stolen while you’re away
Accident, liability, and legal cover could come in handy as every country around the world has different laws

Remember, each insurer offers varying levels of cover. If you’re looking for a specific feature, you can filter and tailor your quote based on the level of cover you want. For example, you can choose to filter medical cover for at least £10 million, or cancellation cover for at least £4,000.

How do I get a worldwide travel insurance quote?

Getting a quote is easy and only takes 2 minutes, all you need to do is:

Choose the type of cover that you need. For worldwide cover, this is going to be annual travel insurance or backpacker insurance depending on how long you plan on being away.
Say where, when and how long you’re travelling for. Include all your planned countries or regions to be sure you’re covered.
Tell us a few quick details about yourself and anyone else you want to cover in your policy.
Let us know if you need any extras adding to your policy, such as gadget cover.

Once we've got all this information, we'll show you a list of offers from different insurers. Just pick the one that best meets your needs.

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What’s excluded from worldwide travel insurance?

Like a standard travel insurance policy, there are things that are normally excluded from most worldwide policies. These can include:

Travelling to a country that isn’t covered by your policy
Not declaring any pre-existing medical conditions that you have at the time of travel
Alcohol or drug related incidents
Delays in reporting an incident to your insurer
Travelling against Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advice

Before you buy a policy, we recommend checking your policy details to see exactly what and which countries are included and excluded.

Can I get a quote if I have a serious, pre-existing medical condition?

If you’re looking for a travel insurance quote for worldwide travel and have a pre-existing medical condition, you can still use our site to get a quote. These conditions could include cancer, stroke, serious heart, respiratory and terminal conditions.

Some insurers may not cover you if you already have a serious medical condition, or if you have several conditions. Others might only offer insurance at a much higher price. If you can’t find suitable cover, the Money and Pension Service (MaPS) has set up a directory of insurers willing to cover customers with pre-existing medical conditions.

You can find their directory of insurers on the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) website or you can phone them on 0800 138 7777 for free impartial advice.

What our travel insurance expert says

How much medical treatment you’re entitled to can vary in countries all over the world. You can save yourself a shocking medical bill costing you £1000’s, by making sure you’ve got a worldwide travel insurance policy that covers you for all the countries that you plan on visiting.

If that's not enough of a reason for you, buying one policy could save you time and money rather than having to buy single-trip cover for each country that you visit.

Jac Morris

Travel insurance product executive

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Need more help?

Does worldwide travel insurance cover the UK?

Yes, the UK is covered as part of any worldwide travel insurance policies that we offer.

If you’re looking for specific cover for just the UK, you can get one of our UK travel insurance policies. If you need a single-trip policy, make sure you list the UK as one of the countries you’ll be visiting on your trip don’t list the UK as one of the countries you’ll be visiting when getting your quote to make sure you’re covered.

Or, if you need annual travel insurance or a backpackers policy, just make sure to select the UK as your destination to get cover specifically for travel within the UK.

When should I buy worldwide travel insurance?

We would recommend buying your policy as soon as you’ve booked your trip. That way, if you have to cancel certain accommodation or onward travel, you’ll be covered and won’t be out of pocket.

Do I need Worldwide travel insurance as a business traveller?

If you’re travelling for business and want to cover your equipment you can add business cover to your policy when you get a quote. It’s essential you have the correct cover if you’re travelling for business or work purposes..